The Director-General of the ADC/Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Austin Akobundu, has said Atiku would review the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), pursue student debt forgiveness and improve access to education
He added that the government should help young people acquire skills without placing additional financial pressure on their families.
Akobundu made the promise while speaking on Friday at the inauguration of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
According to him, he accepted the appointment with humility and a clear understanding of the responsibility involved, describing the role as a call to lead a campaign for Nigerians struggling to afford basic necessities.
“This is not ceremonial role. It is call to lead campaign for Nigerians who are asking simple question: How can I afford to live? For parent who must choose between paying school fees and buying food. For worker whose salary disappears into transport and rent,” he said.
He said the All Progressives Congress (APC) government had asked Nigerians to endure hardship for nearly four years, but families could not live on promises and businesses could not remain open on assurances that relief was coming.
“Our campaign will make that reality impossible to ignore. We will take people’s experiences seriously, explain how government’s choices affect daily lives, and offer credible alternative. Atiku Abubakar’s message is clear: Tinubu made life expensive. I will make life affordable again,” he said.
Akobundu said the campaign would focus on the everyday needs of Nigerians, including affordable food, lower transportation costs, reliable electricity, accessible education, healthcare and employment.
He said Atiku’s economic plan would prioritise production and affordability, including the restoration of a targeted, budgeted production subsidy for fuel refined in Nigeria from the first day of his administration. According to him, the policy would strengthen local refining and ease pressure on transportation, food and business costs.
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Akobundu said lower fuel and transportation costs would bring markets closer to consumers and make food more affordable, while enabling businesses to increase production and pay workers.
Continuing, the campaign DG assured that Atiku, if elected, would implement the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy.
He said farmers needed safe access to their farms, affordable financing and reliable routes to markets. He added that Atiku would secure farmlands, improve access to credit, reopen land borders for legitimate cross-border trade and support local processing.
On electricity, Akobundu said Atiku would reform the power sector to make electricity more available and affordable.
He also said the former vice-president would restore the Eastern maritime port corridor to full operational capacity to reduce freight costs and give manufacturers direct access to global markets.
On governance, Akobundu said Atiku would implement the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy to ensure that funds meant for local governments reached them.
He added that devolution of powers and a review of the Exclusive and Concurrent Legislative Lists would give state and local governments greater capacity to address the needs of their people.
“He will address hardship faced by workers forced to choose when to go to work because of exorbitant cost of transportation. He will end haphazard budget implementation that leaves agencies unable to deliver and contractors unpaid,” he said.
Akobundu added that Atiku would overhaul the health sector and establish a transparent financing programme for start-ups and entrepreneurship, particularly for young people and women.
He said implementing the commitments would require political will, experience and the ability to bring people together, describing Atiku as an experienced administrator and unifying leader.
Akobundu assured the party’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark; National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; founding leader, Chief Ralph Nwosu; and members of the National Working Committee (NWC), National Executive Committee (NEC), Board of Trustees (BOT), Campaign Advisory Board and other stakeholders of his readiness to work with them to secure the confidence of Nigerians.
He said the council would work towards the election of Atiku and Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi on May 29, 2027.
He also appreciated the Chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, and Chairman of the Campaign Advisory Board, Chief John Oyegun.
Akobundu noted the absence of the council’s Deputy Chairman and former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, attributing it to actions of the current administration.
He urged party leaders and council members to run an open, inclusive and ideas-driven campaign, adding that the council would operate within the law and defend Nigerians’ right to choose their future.